OREANDA-NEWS  Russia has not received official proposals for a new military base in Kyrgyzstan, this topic was not discussed at the talks in Bishkek. This was stated on Monday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a press conference following talks with Kyrgyz foreign Minister Chingiz Aidarbekov.

"No, the topic was not touched upon," he said, answering the relevant question. - Officially, we have not received any initiatives".

Lavrov also said that the meeting considered ways to strengthen the United Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan "as, first of all, a stronghold of the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] in countering threats to the States of Central Asia."

Aidarbekov confirmed that the topic of opening a new military base at the meeting with Lavrov was not raised, as "the President of the Kyrgyz Republic recently made a clear statement on this issue."

In December 2018, the Head of the Kyrgyz state Sooronbay Jeenbekov noted that one Russian base in the Republic "is quite enough".

On Friday, the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in the Russian Federation Alikbek of Jekshenkulov said in an interview that he does not exclude the possibility of opening a second Russian military base in the South of the country. The first-Kant air base-operates in the North of Kyrgyzstan. According to him, the opening of another base can be considered in connection with the growing terrorist threat that comes from the territory of Afghanistan.

Kant air base was established at the request of the Kyrgyz authorities, its opening took place on October 23, 2003. In 2012, Moscow and Bishkek signed an agreement on a joint Russian military base on the territory of the Republic. It includes: an air base in Kant, a long-range communication center of the Russian Navy in Kara-Balta, a test base of anti-submarine weapons in Karakol in Issyk-Kul and an Autonomous seismic station in Mailuu-Suu. The term of stay is 15 years with the possibility of automatic prolongation for the next five-year periods.